As the 2016/17 racing season rapidly reached its finale, Raheen Stud based, Golden Archer, had firmly stamped himself as the rising star of Queensland breeding … a Coen Hess on four legs.

But while Golden Archer had secured the Queensland Champion Sires’ Premiership, both by ‘earnings’ and ‘winners’, his success hasn’t been limited to state borders.

Golden Archer’s eight Australian winners - which include Lady Lark, Sun Deck and Diomedes - also saw the Raheen stallion chart well on the Australian First Season Sires’ premiership, just two shy of Your Song and equal second with All Too Hard, who has had 41 runners compared to Golden Archer’s 24.

Certainly Golden Archer’s 2017 fee of $6,600 inc. GST lines up well against those left in his wake on the freshman winners’ tally, including Pierro ($49,500) and Animal Kingdom ($27,500).

“It’s been a tremendous start to his stud career and while he’s been well supported since day one, his run of winners now has a lot more breeders sitting up and taking notice,” Raheen Stud’s Basil Nolan enthused.

“Apart from gallopers like Lady Lark that won by over two lengths at Eagle Farm on debut and the Singapore flyer, Whistling Win, who took out the Silver Horseshoe Stakes, he’s also had, in recent weeks, the highly promising Diomedes that led all the way at Doomben and Golden Guardian who has won two on end.

“Encouragingly, of his 25 runners overall, 18 of them - or 72% - are money earners.

“Arguably his biggest selling point though, if you’ll excuse the pun, is his appeal to both those who breed to race or those who see him as an investment.

“At a fee of $6,600 he’s accessible to all breeders and Golden Archer is getting the return in the ring too with his progeny selling up to $120,000 in 2016 and again hitting the six figure mark this year.